Minorities and Special Ed

African-American children represent about 14 percent of the school-aged population in the United States. But they make up 19 percent of children in special education. For years policymakers took that disparity to mean there is racial bias in the way students with disabilities are identified and placed in special ed programs in public schools. But a new study claims that, contrary to what’s been reported in the past, racial and ethnic minorities are actually less likely to be identified as having disabilities than white children and that means they’re less likely to receive the special education services they may need.

A get-tough attitude prevailed among educators in the 1980s and 1990s, but research shows that zero-tolerance policies don't make schools safer and lead to disproportionate discipline for students of color.